Southern California -- this just in

Red-flag warning for Southland

December 9, 2008 | 7:45
am

The National Weather Service has issued a red-flag warning through Wednesday afternoon for Los Angeles-area mountains, valleys and coastal regions because of extreme fire danger due to high winds and low humidity.

The red-flag warning was issued at 4:10 a.m., said Bonnie Bartling, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Conditions will be particularly windy and dry from Malibu to the Hollywood Hills, Bartling said. The high-risk wildfire conditions are expected along the coast, in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys and in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area from 10 a.m. today to 4 p.m. Wednesday, she said.

The advisory will also cover Los Angeles mountain areas from 8 a.m. today to 4 p.m. Wednesday. Winds are expected to be around 25 to 40 mph out of the northeast all day with gusts to about 60 mph developing in the morning. Winds are expected to drop to around 50 mph in the afternoon.